Studio couch



A. WESLEY STUDIO COUCH July 24, 1934.

Filed March 12, 1934 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 A. WESLEY STUDIO couca July 24, 1934.

Filed March 12, 1934 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 llxlllllll |I|1I l I :III II lllklllllllllllll Patented July 24, 1934 {1,901,343 s'rumocoucn Arthur Wesley}. Chicago, 111., assignor to Burton- Dixie Corporation, Chicago, 111., a corporation Application March 12, 1934, Serial No. 715,113

v 3 Claims.

My present invention relates to bed structures and similar constructions and concerns more particularly what are known as studio-couches, each of the latter comprising a relatively-stationary bed-section and a cooperating, forwardly and rearwardly sliding section, whereby the two parts may be nested to form a couch or the movable secgim may be drawn forwardly to provide a double The invention pertains more especially to the means for permitting and facilitating the movement of the shiftable section of the studio-couch, for limiting the extent of forward travel of such slldable couch-section, for allowing the ready separation of the two parts of the appliance when separate or individual single beds are required, and for locking the parts of the couch together in assembled relation whereby they may be lifted or moved as a unit.

To the accomplishment of these and other desirable aims and objects, a present preferred embodiment of the invention has been devised and it has been shown in detail in the accompanying drawings throughout the several views of which, for the sake of simplicity, like reference numerals have been employed to designate the same parts. I

In these drawings, inasmuch as the springcushions themselves are of minor importance and form no real part of the invention, they have been shown more or less diagrammatically. and the means for holding them together, especially at their tops, have not been indicated.

In these drawings:-

Figure 1 is a vertical cross-section through the new construction with tip: couch inextended or expanded condition;

Figure 2 is a view similar to that of Figure 1 but with the two portions of the couch in telescoped condition; v

Figure 3 is an enlarged, fragmentarm vertical section through an end portion of the couch when the two parts are nested together;

Figure 4 is a partial plan view of the structure as'illustrated inFigure l; and

Figure 5 is a smaller plan fragment of the constructicn as presented in Figure 2; I Referring to these drawings, it will be perceived that the novel and improved structure includes a relatively-stationarycouch or bed sectionlo and a companion or associated, similar niovableor siidablesection 11, such two parts of the construction, when in compact or nested condition, forming a couch, and, when expanded, a double-bed, or, if separated.two single beds.

In the drawings, no attempt has been made to show the usual mattresses, pads or cushions ordinarily used with such appliances.

Such fixed or stationary couch-section 10 includes a suitable framework incorporating two end frames, each formed of an angle-bar bent to provide a. horizontal element 9 and its front and rear supporting legs 12 and 13, respectively,

either or both of which may be strengthened by appropriate braces 14.

These two end frames are connected together by a front, horizontal angle-bar 7 fastened thereto and by a similar back angle-bar 8 similarly joined thereto, the two end-frames and these two longitudinal bars forming the framework speci- As is customary in furniture of this general character, the two lengthwise bars 7 and 8 carry a number of bent or twisted slats 15 on which the usual spiral-springs 16 are mounted in the customary manner and joined together in any approved fashion, not shown, to provide a suitable spring-cushion on which a mattress or pad is adapted to be positioned when the structure is 0 may be easily supplied in the form of short sec- 35 tions of angle-bar formation. 1

'Such aconstruction precludes unintentional movement of this section of the couch on the floor.

As is clearly portrayed in the drawings, the companion, slightly longer and wider couch-section 11 is also somewhat higher and comprises a similar, rectangular, horizontal frame and its supporting legscomposed of two end frame-members, each characterized as a whole 18, and each formed of a bent angle-barto provide a horizontal member 19 and front and rear legs 21 and'22 at its corresponding ends the lower terminal of' each such leg being fitted with a caster-wheel bracket 23 and its caster-wheel 24. Q A'horizontal angle+bar 25 is fastened to and connects together the front portions of such" two end-framesand' another horizontal angle-bar 26 similarly' joins together the upper rear parts of the pair oi'end-frames. -To further strengthen the structure, lower angle-bars 27 connect together the lower sections of the corresponding front and back legs.

Such front and'rear angle-bars 25 and 26 constituting parts of the movable frame support the n I ends of twisted or bent bars or slats 28 on which the ordinary erect spiral-springs 29 are mounted in any approved or convenient manner, such springs being otherwise tied or joined together in any desirable fashion to perform their cushioning function satisfactorily. I n

In order to facilitate the outward and inward travel of the slidable section of the studio-couch and to assist more or less in maintaining the two parts of the couch in parallelism during such movement, each back leg 22 of the shiftable couchsection on its inner side is equipped with a horizontally-disposed antifriction-roller 31 and its supporting bracket 32, each' such roller being located as to height to cooperate with and to roll on the outer face of the part 9 of the companion couch-member.

Again, at a lower level, the outer end faces of each of the front legs 12 of the stationary couchelement is fitted with a bracket 33 and its antifriction-roller 34, the latter being arranged or positioned and designed to roll on the inner face of the corresponding bar 27 of the movable couchsection.

Such four rollers 31, 34, in combination with the caster-wheels 24 of the sliding couch-member, render the manual accomplishment of the outward and inward travel of section 11 a matter of ease and satisfaction.

As is shown in Figure 1, when the couch is in fully expanded or enlarged condition, none of these four rollers is performing any antifriction or bearing function, the bars 27 having passed beyond the rollers 34 and the rollers 31 having traveled forwardly beyond the parts 9.

In order to stop the advance of the movable couch-section at the proper point to form a double bed, the horizontal flange of each bar 27 has a pair of headed studs 35, 35 both occup a longitudinal slot in a sliding bracket 38 having an upturned end or ear 37, whereby each such bracket is capable of sliding lengthwise on its bar 27 on which it is thus movably mounted.

When the couch-section is pulled fully out, as presented in Figurel, each upstanding bracket finger or ear 37 engages the complementary roller 34 on the stationary section and thus these-two erect projections by coaction with these rollers pull the two sliding brackets out rearwardly to the limit of their movement, which, when reached, precludes further advance of the forward section of the couch, as is fully depicted in Figures 1 and 4.

Each rear leg 13 of the couch-section 10 has an outstanding stop-bracket 38 riveted or otherwise fixedly secured thereto in the path of travel of the bracket ends or ears 37, so that when the movable couch-section is slid back into place in register with the other section, the ears 37 will strike the abutments 38 and hold the brackets 38 stationary during, the remainder of the backward travel of the section, whereby such slidable brackets are then contained wholly within the compacted or condensed'couch, as otherwise, were they not so slidably mounted, they would project out to the rear of the structure in an objectionable manner.

The inwardly-extended, vertical flanges of the rear legs 22 of the larger movable couch-section 11 are cut away at 39 for the e of the rollers 34 through the spaces provided by the omitted portions of the flanges and for the accommodation of the abutment brackets 38 when the on, or from any other cause, the front bar 25 of such section has a fixed, depending support 41 on which a gravity-actuated catch or latch 42 is hinged or fulcrumed at 43, such catch having a downwardly-projecting operating arm 44 which may be readily engaged by the operator's foot to raise the latch.

As is clearly portrayed in Figures 1 and 2, the rear portion of the latch or catch 42 has a bevelled or upwardly-sloping surface 45 which is normally maintained in proper position by the engagement of the downwardly-directed arm 44 with the bracket 41.

When the forwardly-drawn couch-section is pushed rearwardly fully home, the latch or catch 42 automatically rides over bar 7 of the companion couch-section, as indicated in Figure 2, and thuslocks the two couch-members together with the brackets 38, 38 just above the flanges of the bars 27, 27 and just to the rear of the sliding brackets 36, 36 which have been pushed forwardly thereby relatively to such bars 27, 27 by the contact of their upstanding portions 37, 37 with the parts 38, 38.

Thus it will be perceived that catch 42 so locks the two couch-sections together, first, that the movable one may not shift its position without first intentionally releasing the catch, and, second, that by reason of the brackets 38, 38 overlapping the bars 27, 27 at the rear ends of the latter, and due to the roller-brackets 33, 33 overlying the front ends of the same bars 27, 27, the pair of couch-sections are locked together so that they may be lifted as a unit.

There is, therefore, a direct and distinct cooperation between the catch 42 and the correlated elements 27, 38, 37 and 34.

To expand or enlarge the couch, the operator releases catch 42 by his foot pushing the arm 44 thereof rearwardly and at the same time he slides the movable couch-section forwardly, which action is facilitated by the antifriction functions of the caster-wheels 24 and the rollers 31 and 34.

when the bracket cars 37, 37 strike the rollers 34, the brackets 36, 36 are drawn out rearwardly of the forwardly-moving front section, and when they reach their limit of sliding movement they act as stops to prevent further or excess travel of thelfzont couch-section as indicated in Figures 1 an when the couch-members are in this relation, the back one may be readily separated or dissociated from the front one by merely lifting its forward portion of! of the then rearwardlyextended brackets 36, 36, whereupon two separate and independent single beds are available for use.

Assuming that the two sections have not been thus separated and that it is desired to close the expanded structure, the front movable section is merely pushed rearwardly, the specified antifriction means aiding in this action, until the catch 42 rides over and locks with the bar 7 of the stationary couch-section, which thereafter assures that the one section will not unintentionally shift forwardly, and the combined structure may be lifted as a whole, if desired, as has been indicated above.

This invention is not necessarily limited and restricted to the precise and exact details of structure shown and described, and many mechanical modifications may be resorted to without departure from the heart and essence of the invention and without the loss or sacrifice of any of its substantial or material benefits and advantages.

p I claim:

1. In a studio-couch, the combination of a relatively-stationary couch-section, a, companion forwardly and rearwardly movable couch-section, said sections being nested the one within the other when the movable section is pushed fully back, stop means movably mounted on the rear portion of said movable couch-section, antifriction means on the front portion of said stationary section cooperating with said movable section to facilitate its travel and arranged to engage and to arrest the movement of said stop meansduring the continued forward travel of said movable section and to limit such forward travel, and means on said stationary section to restore said stop means to its original position on, and during the rearward travel of, said movable section.

2. In a studio-couch, the combination of a relatively-stationary couch-section, a companion forwardly and rearwardly movable couch-section, said sections being nested the one within the other when the movable section is pushed fully on the front portion of said stationary section arranged to engage and to arrest the movement original position on, and during the rearward travel of, said movable section, a foot-releasable catch to lock said sections together in nested condition, and means on said sections, including said restoring means, to prevent vertical separation of said sections when they are locked together as specified, whereby such nested sections may be lifted as a unit.

3. In a studio-couch, the combination of a relatively-stationary couch-section, a companion forwardly and rearwardly movable couch-section, said sections being nested the one within the other when the movable section is pushed fully back, stop means slidably mounted on the rear portion of said movable section, antifriction means on the front portion of said stationary section cooperating with said movable section to facilitate its travel and arranged to engage and to arrest the movement of said stop means during the continued forward travel of said movable section and to limit such forward travel, means on said stationary section to engage and to restore said stop means to its original position on, and during the rearward travel of, said movable section, a foot-releasable catch mounted on said movable section near the middle of its front and adapted to engage the stationary section to lock the two sections in nested condition, and means on said sections, including said restoring means, to prevent vertical separation of said sections when they are locked together as specified, whereby such nested sections may be lifted as a unit.

ARTHUR WESLEY. 

